Published in 1982 by Namco and licensed to Atari, Pole Position was one of the most popular coin-operated arcade games. Due to its popularity it is considered one of most important video arcade games. You could either play it in a standard upright or a cockpit cabinet. Both versions featured a steering wheel and a gear shifter, but only the cockpit model had separate pedals to brake and accelerate. 
Hang-On was released in 1985 by Sega. It was one of the first games to use 16-bit graphics. The cabinets were partly designed by Suzuki. The deluxe version of the arcade cabinet was motion controlled and shaped like an actual motorbike. The player’s movement directly affected the driver in the game. 
RoadBlaster is another arcade game by Atari and combined racing with shooting. The goal was to not only be the fastest but also to score points by shooting at other vehicles, roadblocks, and turrets. 
Indianapolis is the first non-arcade game on our list. It was developed by Papyrus Design Group for MS-DOS and distributed by none other than Electronic Arts. The game was a full simulation of the Indianapolis 500 race featuring 33 vehicles and only a first-person mode. It also offered realistic car setups and allowed the driver the individualize their cars’ driving behavior. 
Formula One was the first Formula-1-simulation. It was developed by Geoff Crammond. While the game was released as “Formula One Grand Prix” in Europe, Americans most likely know it as “World Circuit”. For the first time ever, it offered weather simulation and the possibility to connect two PCs to race against each other. 
Ridge Racer was published in April 1994 for the first PlayStation. It had previously been an arcade game on the Namco System 22. It was praised for exceptional graphics, audio, and drifting mechanics. 
Sega Rally Championship was originally an arcade game for the Sega Model 2 board. But it was ported to the Sega Saturn console in 1995. In 1997 its Windows release followed. Its unique feature were different surfaces affecting the cars’ behavior. 
Colin McRae Rally is the first title of the popular series and was published in January 1998. It was available for both PlayStation and PC. It featured real cars and drivers from the 1998 World Rally Championship season. The cover displayed Colin McRae’s Subaru Impreza. 
The most interesting thing about midtown madness is not the game itself, but the developer. It was produced by Angel Studios, which later changed its name to Rockstar San Diego. The same Rockstar which would eventually develop Grand Theft Auto. It won’t surprise you now that Midtown Madness was not only about driving through a city but about completing missions and objectives. 
IndyCar Racing was developed by Codemasters as a competitor to “Formula One 2003” but didn’t manage to find as much success as its rival. It was released in 2003 for PC, PlayStation2 and Xbox. The game featured 26 drivers from the 2002 Indy Racing League. Racing games are an essential part in the history of video games. Starting with arcade games on Atari consoles in 1970s, racing games have undergone much development. Some racing games have a rich history. The first title of Colin McRaes’ Rally series for example was published in 1998, the newest addition to the series in February 2019.
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